Ashes by Steven Manchester

Middle-aged
brothers Jason and Tom Prendergast thought they were completely done
with each other. Perceived betrayal had burned the bridge between them,
tossing them into the icy river of estrangement. But life – and death –
has a robust sense of irony, and when they learn that their cruel father
has died and made his final request that they travel together across
the country to spread his ashes, they have no choice but to spend a
long, long car trip in each other’s company. It’s either that or lose
out on the contents of the envelope he’s left with his lawyer. The trip
will be as gut-wrenching as each expects it to be . . . and revealing in
ways neither of them is prepared for.

At
turns humorous, biting, poignant, and surprisingly tender, ASHES puts a
new spin on family and dysfunction with a story that is at once fresh
and timelessly universal.

Ashes by Steven Manchester

What started as a strained cross-country trek to fulfill their father’s last wishes became a second chance at brotherly love, dreams come true and secrets unveiled. Steven Manchester has done it again, creating a story of pain and sorrow and turning it into a magically journey of discovery and a re-birth of a family. ASHES will tickle your funny bone, twist a warped sense of humor even tighter and bring two middle-aged and estranged brothers together, not only in the confines of a vehicle, but from the deepest parts of their very souls!

Jason and Tom were raised by a vicious and abusive father. They learned to stick together as children, but as time went on, one would destroy that bond in a second with one act of cowardice that would change their futures and love for each other. But all is not doom and gloom, sure there were miles of animosity, miles of revelations and miles of memories to share, both good and bad, but there were also moments of quirky fun, howling laughter and that bond that brothers share. It was at the end of their journey they realized they had been given a precious gift from the man who hated them, the gift of family, imperfect but real.

If you have ever thought your family could be the poster children for dysfunctional families everywhere, you will relate to this tale of two siblings as different as night and day. Jason will keep you in awe and stitches as the gruff prison guard plays the perfect example of a rough guy with a heart of gold and a wicked sense of humor! Tom is the quiet one, the upscale man with the manicured lawn at his proper address who looks down on Jason’s earthy ways.

Hop in, buckle up and get ready to share a journey of a lifetime with Steven Manchester, Jason and Tom. Feel their pain, their laughter and their joys told only as Steven Manchester can do! I laughed, I remembered my childhood and the things kids can get up to! I cried at times and I laughed when they talked about and to their father’s ashes, because once I too, traveled with my Dad’s ashes and asked him if he wanted to ride shotgun or sit in the back. He didn’t have a preference.

I received an ARC edition from Steven Manchester in exchange for my honest review.
Read it! You'll love it!